Emergency Notifications

Main Campus and Conard Environmental Research Area (CERA)

Grinnell College will immediately notify the campus community upon the confirmation of a significant emergency or dangerous situation involving an immediate threat to the health or safety of students or employees occurring on the campus. The College will use its emergency notification system, known as the Pioneer Alert System, which provides text, voice, broadcast and email messages to all members of the Grinnell College community, and may use face-to-face communication in the event technology fails. Grinnell College students, faculty and staff are automatically enrolled in the campus emergency notification system, Pioneer Alert, with the information the College has on record. The students, faculty, and staff can update their contact information or opt out of the system, although that is discouraged. Updates to Pioneer Alert accounts can be completed through the Pioneer Alert portal located in GrinnellShare.

Imminent Threat

The Pioneer Alert System is activated upon confirmation of an imminent threat to the health and safety of the Grinnell Community. The Department of Campus Safety is responsible for confirming an emergency, with the assistance of College administrators, local first responders, and/or the National Weather Service. Triggers of activation and notification procedures are outlined in the Emergency Operations Plan.

Decision to Activate

The decision to initiate the systems is made by the Director of Campus Safety and Associate Vice President of Student Affairs. They are responsible for developing the content of emergency alert notifications and for issuing them through the Pioneer Alert System, and the Vice President of Communications serves as the backup. An alert will be issued without delay, and taking into account the safety of the community, determine the content of the notifications and initiate the notification system, unless issuing a notification will, in the professional judgment of responsible authorities, compromise efforts to assist a victim or to contain, respond to, or otherwise mitigate the emergency. The Director of Campus Safety and Associate Vice President of Student Affairs work together to determine the appropriate segment(s) of the community to receive the emergency alert. In an emergency, Pioneer Alert messages will inform the community of the incident and may include recommended actions, and follow-up Pioneer Alert messages will be sent frequently as more information becomes available.

Prepare for Action

In the event of an emergency, the Grinnell Community may be asked to evacuate or shelter in place. The emergency alert will instruct how to respond. If evacuation is required, people are asked to evacuate calmly through the nearest exit and out of the building, to be mindful of all of the exits, do not use an elevator, and assist those that may need help. In the event of an evacuation, no one should re-enter the building until given the “all-clear” by local authorities.

Shelter in place is a precaution intended to keep people safe while remaining indoors. The request to shelter in place may come from the Pioneer Alert System, Grinnell Police Department, or another Public Safety authority. If the Pioneer Alert is used, the Grinnell Community will simultaneously be notified, told to bring everyone into one’s work or classroom area(s), and to shut and lock the door(s) if possible, and to wait in the location until given an “all clear” or told to evacuate.

Follow-Up Information

Follow-up information will be provided to the Grinnell Community using some or all of the systems described in the paragraphs above. The larger community, parents, neighbors, and other interested parties can access emergency information through the College website or local media.

Grinnell in London

In the event of an incident that requires the immediate notification of the Grinnell-in-London (GIL) campus community, various systems are in place for communicating information quickly. Some or all of these methods of communications may be activated. There are primary notification systems in place, which are typically utilized to reach the GIL campus community. These include telephone messages, SMS/text messages, email, Facebook, and WhatsApp. Secondary notification systems are also in place that includes local (main campus) media outlets (radio, local television), face-to-face, and the Pioneer Alert System. Grinnell College students, faculty and staff are automatically enrolled in the campus emergency notification system, Pioneer Alert, with the information the College has on record. The students, faculty, and staff can update their contact information or opt out of the system, although that is discouraged. Updates to Pioneer Alert accounts can be completed through the Pioneer Alert portal located in GrinnellShare.

Imminent Threat

Emergency notification systems are activated upon confirmation of an imminent threat to the health and safety of the GIL community. The Resident Director is responsible for confirming an emergency, with the assistance of IES Abroad Personnel, local first responders, and/or ACORN staff at the Florida State University (FSU) building.

Decision to Activate

The decision to initiate the systems is made by the Resident Director or IES Abroad Personnel and they will contact all students, faculty, and staff on the program in an effort to immediately determine their whereabouts and confirm their safety. Students, faculty, and staff have been directed (and will be reminded) to send an immediate reply. Once they have been notified, the Resident Director or IES Abroad Personnel will contact the Program Manager to inform them of the whereabouts and safety of the students, faculty, and staff. The Resident Director and Director of Off-Campus Study will also discuss and determine if any additional actions or notification is necessary. Visiting Grinnell College Faculty will provide support as requested.

Prepare for Action

In the event of an emergency, the GIL Community may be asked to evacuate or shelter in place. The emergency alert will instruct how to respond. If evacuation is required, people are asked to evacuate calmly through the nearest exit and out of the building, to be mindful of all of the exits, do not use an elevator, and to assist those that may need help. In the event of an evacuation, no one should re-enter the building until given the “all-clear” by local authorities.

Shelter in place is a precaution intended to keep people safe while remaining indoors. The request to shelter in place may come from the Emergency Notification Systems, Metropolitan Police Department, or another Public Safety authority. If the Emergency Notification System is used, the GIL Community will simultaneously be notified, told to bring everyone into one’s work or classroom area(s), and to shut and lock the door(s) if possible, and to wait in the location until given an “all clear” or told to evacuate.

Follow-Up Information

Follow-up information will be provided to the GIL Community using some or all of the systems described above. The larger community, parents, neighbors, and other interested parties can access emergency information through the College website or local media.